Very quirky, exciting to watch and a sci-fi mystery you will not believe, that’s the film Nope. There have been many stories about flying saucers and invaders from space, but this wild and wacky production grabs you right from the begging and never let’s go. My kind of film, the pace is fast and there’s never a dull moment.
For years Otis Haywood, Sr. has been uneasy about happenings on his ranch. His sudden death however has his son OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer) completely baffled. Their income has fizzled since their movie horses have been acting skittish on the sets, so OJ and Emerald want to get to the bottom of what has caused the recent disturbances at the ranch.
One cloudy day, OJ sees a shiny object in the sky that he believes is an alien vessel. When it’s likely the reason for the turmoil, OJ and Emerald get set to challenge the mysterious invader. Jordan Peele does a terrific job of putting his film together pacing it so the build up to the finale becomes a modern day war of the worlds. Not on the grand scale of films like Independence Day or even the movie War of the Worlds, this minding film does it all in a rancher’s back yard.
What also makes the film good is the acting by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer who run rampant as the unstoppable offspring. Driven mad by the constant attacks, the two make a plan to prove what is happening on their ranch by turning it into a film. But they chew off more than they can eat, or so their adversary thinks.
Palmer is a stitch with her high wielding attitude as Emerald and it really works here to get the audience all worked up about what they are viewing on the big screen. Emerald won’t stop at anything and proves that where there’s a will, there’s a way. Her performance, along with Kaluuya’s persistent OJ makes the film a winner.
Nope has been rated R by the MPAA for language throughout and some violence/bloody images. For everyone that likes Sci-fi, Mystery and even Horror, this film is for you, pushing my rating to 5 out of 5 Stars.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott, Steven Yeun, David Keith
Directed and written by: Jordan Peele
Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and some violence/bloody images
Running Time: 2 hrs. 10 min.
Opening Date: July 1, 2022
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Released in: Theaters
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
